Major Ronald Ivor Ferguson (born on October 10, 1931 – died on March 16, 2003) was the father of Sarah Ferguson, former wife to Prince Andrew. He is the maternal grandfather of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie of York. Major Ferguson was polo manager initially to the Duke of Edinburgh and later for many years to the Prince of Wales.
Life and career
Ronald Ferguson was the second son of Andrew Henry Ferguson (1899–1966) and his wife Marian Montagu-Douglas-Scott (1908–1996). An elder brother, John, died at 10 years of age from peritonitis. He was born in London and grew up at Dummer Down Farm, his later home in adulthood, at Dummer in Hampshire. He attended Eton College and Sandhurst, and entered the Life Guards in 1952 [1], the regiment of which his father had previously been Colonel [2]. In 1954 Ferguson was promoted to Lieutenant [3] and Captain in 1958[4]. Ferguson retired in 1968 and was granted the honorary rank of Major[5]. During his career he served with the regiment in Germany, Egypt, Aden, and Cyprus. Ferguson's first wife was Susan Wright. They married in St Margaret's Church, Westminster on January 17, 1956. They had two daughters: Jane Louisa, born on August 26, 1957, and Sarah Margaret, later the Duchess of York, born on October 15, 1959. They divorced in 1974. During their marriage the Fergusons were recognised society figures. The Major retired from his army career and his family moved to Dummer Down Farm which he inherited upon his father's death. It also left him more time to devote to another passion, polo. His interest in polo frequently brought him into contact with the Royal Family, and through this connection his daughter Sarah met Prince Andrew. In 1975, Ferguson married for the second time to Susan Deptford. They had three children, Andrew (b. 1978), Alice (b. 1980), and Elizabeth (Eliza) (b. 1985). In 1987, Ferguson was entered as an officer (brother) in the Venerable Order of Saint John[6]. In 1988, while his daughter, Sarah, was married to Prince Andrew, the News of the World printed a story about Ferguson's membership of the Wigmore Club, "a health club and massage parlour in London staffed by girls who, dressed in starched white 'medical' gowns, allegedly offered a la carte sexual services to members."[7] He maintained that he had used the club "for massage only... and by that I mean a totally straight one" and as "a kind of cocoon where I could shut myself away for an hour and think".[7] The controversy did not affect his marriage, however it led him to leave his post as Prince Charles's polo manager and his position at the Guards Polo Club. His rare media appearances were to defend his daughter Sarah and raise awareness of prostate cancer. In 1994 he published his autobiography, The Galloping Major: My Life in Singular Times.[8] Ferguson battled with cancer for some years of his life. Initially it was reported to be skin cancer but later developed prostate cancer. In March 2003 he died, aged 71, of a heart attack at The Hampshire Clinic, Basingstoke, Hampshire, England. He was reinstated with the Guards Polo Club shortly before he died. Prince Charles also attended his private funeral.
Notes and references
- ^ Supplement to the London Gazette, 21 March 1952, p.1595 (Army number: 420839)
- ^ London Gazette, 28 October 1966, p.11793
- ^ London Gazette, 5 February 1954, p.1
- ^ Supplement to the London Gazette, 7 February 1958, p.840
- ^ Supplement to the London Gazette, 26 November 1968, p.1
- ^ London Gazette, 9 November 1987
- ^ a b "Major Ronald Ferguson", Daily Telegraph, 17 March 2003. Retrieved 22 August 2007.
- ^ Macmillan, London. ISBN-13: 978-0333614549
